It's the time of the year when the days get shorter, retailers stay open longer, big games are released and there seems to be a holiday every other week. Defunct Games wants to ring in this festive season with a look at back at some of video gaming's most questionable power-ups. Join us from November 28 to December 25 for a month of floating orbs, life extenders and special cloaks.

Torch
[ Game: Ghosts 'N Goblins | Year: 1985 | Console: Arcade ]

Normally, fire is pretty awesome. Oh sure, it can be used for bad, but it's hard to deny the beauty of fire. Today's episode of the 29 Questionable Power-Ups of Christmas proves that fire is not as cool as a big, stiff lance. This might see counter-intuitive, but watch this video and you'll be a believer.

Torch (Ghosts 'N Goblins)

Purpose:
In Ghosts 'N Goblins, Sir Arthur comes ready with his trusty lance. It's the same lance we've seen in countless sequels and remakes. It's the lance he uses when fighting the Incredible Hulk in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. If you doubt the lance is powerful, then I recommend you pick up the torch and try beating Ghosts 'N Goblins with it. You'll quickly discover that today's questionable power-up is slow and unruly. The purpose may be to kill zombies, but that doesn't mean the torch is effective.

Legacy:
The torch found its way into each of the Ghosts 'N Goblins sequels, including Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts and Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins. Sir Arthur also sports the torch in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, though it's nowhere near as useless in Capcom's 2011 fighter.

In Real Life:
Contrary to what Ghosts 'N Goblins tells us, fire is much more effective in the real world than a lance. But just because fire is simple to start and destructive, that doesn't mean that you should consider it a power-up. Sure it's easy to use, but it's also something that can quickly spiral out of control. When was the last time you heard about a lance burning down a house? Think about it!